Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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PROFILE VERIFICATION SYSTEM
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.
60/307,549,
filed July 23, 2001.
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates generally to computer-implemented systems used
to
verify, authenticate, or certify information exchanged between individuals and
organizations.
It is anticipated that primary application of the present invention will be in
applying for
employment, credit, and housing. However, the present invention is also well
suited to use
other applications where individuals seek an easy way to provide verified
information to
organizations and where organizations seek to locate candidate individuals
based on verified
information.
BACKGROUND ART
There presently exists a great and growing need for information. For example,
business organizations such as employers, lenders, educational institutions,
housing
providers, etc. need to make major decisions about individuals, decisions that
often will
involve long term commitments. Furthermore, as our transportation and
communications
infrastructures have gotten faster, the expectation is that such decisions
will be made faster,
particularly if an entity wishes to remain competitive in its respective
marketplace.
Competing with this need for information are needs to insure that it is
trustworthy and
properly used. The information that organizations or entities need about
individuals often
needs to be authenticated or verified. Yet those providing the information or
whom it is about
will not contribute to or facilitate the use of the information if they fear
that it will be
misused.
For one example, consider employment, particularly modern job or placement
searching (although the principals described here largely apply to the
traditional context as
well). Currently, there are numerous job posting and resume matching services
such as the
SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, CAREERBUILDER, CAREERPATH, etc., that allow
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employers to post job openings online and allow candidates or employment
seekers to post
resumes online. These systems allow candidates and employers to find one
another by
allowing the candidates to search and apply for the jobs advertised within the
respective
system, and the employers to search for and contact the candidates that meet
their
S requirements. Unfortunately, while the privacy of accessibility of such
systems is
questionable, another important issue that impedes the hiring decisions is the
validity of the
information found in the resume bases. Heretofore, there has not been made
available a
comprehensive management system with authenticated information; a secure
automated
system that assures the validity of each applicant; a delivery mechanism that
prevents fraud
or misuse; and an instantaneous online verification system to proactively
manage and
disseminate personal information with a degree of control and privacy.
From the above it is clear that the employer needs verified information about
the
prospective employees. Among other details, it needs to know their education
and skills, and
where and in what capacity they have worked elsewhere. It may also be
desirable to have and
to consider information which knowledgeable or authoritative others may
contribute about
the individual. That is, to receive references.
At the same time, the prospective employee needs some assurances. Will the
information be properly used? Will that be only by the intended prospective
employer, and
then only for prospective employment purposes, or for other uses and by others
as well?
Obviously, individuals will feel disinclined to use a system where others are
privy to every
detail provided; or where present employers can easily discover who is
considering leaving,
and then preemptively discharge people or change job assignments; or one where
outside
marketers can use the information, say, to make sales pitches based on
statistics showing that
aggressively upward mobile accounts are good prospects to buy mid-sized
automobiles
manufactured in Northern Europe.
The prospective employee would also like assurances that information about
them
will be complete and accurate. Clerical errors in records keeping are
inevitable, and can be
particularly damaging if about periods in school, titles of positions held,
skill test scores, etc.
Individuals will also be more willing to let information be used if they can
trust it to convey
what it is intended to convey. For instance, we have all probably had somebody
we would
like to have used as a reference, say, an eccentric professor too long
mentally confined in an
ivory tower, but that we were worried might say something well intentioned yet
"awkward."
Thus our great and growing need for information is a problem with a number of
facets. On one hand, the party receiving the information needs to be able to
trust in its
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completeness and veracity. And on the other hand, the party providing or being
the subject of
the information needs to be able to trust in its integrity, accuracy and the
scope of its
dissemination. Furthermore, the problem is really not one related to separate
bits and pieces
of data, but rather one encompassing entire profiles of information.
S Returning to our employment example, consider the present state of the art.
With the
advent of the Internet and other technological advances, numerous job boards
have come into
existence, providing the tools for employers to advertise jobs world wide and
for candidates
from anywhere to respond almost instantaneously. These systems provide a
mechanism for
individuals to establish profiles with information about their employment
history, skill set,
degrees etc., to form an electronic resume.
Unfortunately, while modern communications systems allow anyone from around
the
world to search and apply in this manner instantly, the proliferation of
resume submissions
has considerably increased the identification or early phase work that
employers must
undertake in the employment process. The resumes received in this present
scheme are all un-
verified and, as such, employers find it very difficult and even perilous to
make hiring
decisions based on them. Time and other resources must therefore be spent to
qualify the
applicants; and, even after going through all the tedious processes for this
and to interview
applicants, the employers still have to wait for their own HR departments (or
third parties) to
verify the information received before they can intelligently and safely make
final hiring
decisions. Additionally, the employers are continually involved in the
tedious, never-ending
process of manually re-verifying, over and over again, the same employment
history
information for each of their past and current employees every time such
employees apply for
new jobs or change careers.
It follows that what is needed is a system that will allow employers to
receive
authenticated, detailed profiles of interested applicants, in lieu of resumes,
so that the
identification and qualifying processes leading to employment become more
manageable.
The employers, universities, etc. on one hand, and the employees, students,
etc. on the other
hand, should be able to jointly create the profile records about individuals,
profiles containing
pertinent information regarding employment history, degrees held, etc. To
prevent errors, by
catching and correcting them promptly, and to minimize dispute about details,
it is desirable
that this proposed system collect information largely while the individuals
are still in
respective capacities as employees or students. Enhancing the overall profile
is also a
desirable feature, to provide individuals with the opportunity to add related
information in
their records regarding acquired skills and to include a descriptive cover
letter. Yet further, it
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will be useful in such a system to allow for the creation of references by
people
knowledgeable about job applicants, and for these to also be associated with a
candidate's
profile.
Once such a system has information in it, it then needs a search engine to
retrieve it
for actual use. The search engine for this needs "assemble to verify business
processes" for
compiling individually authenticated records associated with a particular
profile belonging to
a candidate, and to create a coherent presentation. And once the proposed
system can collect,
store and retrieve the information, it needs to make its capabilities
available for use. For
instance, once an employment candidate identifies the jobs they wish to apply
for, they
should be able to simply submit an on-line link to his or her profile to
prospective employers.
At the receiving end, an employer can see a dynamic URL link to the
candidate's profile or
alternatively the unique identification number of each candidate. Clicking the
link or entering
the unique identification number can then take the employer to view the
profiles along with
other menus associated with its role as an entity within the system.
Hence, as opposed to traditional means of submission, wherein information
gathered
through resumes submitted by the candidates as well as information gathered
from interviews
needs to be verified by a hiring entity before making a hiring decision, the
proposed system
will allow verified information to reach the intended audience, saving time
and money while
being more productive with streamlined HR processes. In addition, with the
proposed system,
employers no longer have to manually re-verify employment history information
over and
over for the same employees any time someone in their employee pool applies
for another
position or other is involved in an other transaction where verification would
be required.
Other applications can similarly benefit from such a verification system. For
instance,
credit services. Despite modern laws in most jurisdictions that provide
consumers access to at
least review their own records, consumers traditionally have not looked at
their own credit
profiles and do not fmd out about discrepancies until they are in the process
of applying for
loans or buying on credit worthiness. At that juncture, if there is a problem,
and with the
shear volume of data and the time spans involved there frequently is, the
consumer gets
involved in time-consuming processes to resolve the issues and is distracted
from their main
objective of acquiring a loan.
A digital information verification system is thus desirable to help manage and
monitor
credit issuance and reporting. Heretofore, there has not been a comprehensive
system
available for viewing and managing credit information by consumers, and a
secure system for
this is highly desirable.
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A digital verification system can allow consumers to take control of their
financial
management, to allow them to have a say, and submit information to credit
bureaus to
proactively manage their credit history. Applying the proposed verification
system in this
case, credit services can allow the consumers to access their profiles on-line
and report any
irregularities for prompt action. Credit profiles can become part of profile
databases and can
be associated with the personal profiles of the consumer and the entity
profiles of past credit
issuers. Using modern communications systems, such as municipal networks or
the Internet,
for example, the consumers can instantaneously check their credit histories,
and lodge formal
complaints or provide clarifying notes through the means of secure on-line
forms. This
correcting nature of the system can be iterative, allowing immediately
triggering messages
back to the consumer after any changes, to prompt verification.
Concurrently, a digital verification system can also serve the needs of those
issuing
and reporting on consumer credit. Lenders have a strong interest to issue
credit to those who
are credit worthy, and these businesses need fast, complete, and verified
information to do
this. Credit reporting entities, similarly, need to be able to provide fast,
complete, and verified
information in the credit reports they issue, while minimizing the costs
associated with this.
Hence, business entities here can be expected to welcome the chance to off
load reviewing,
updating, and large parts of error correction on those most knowledgeable
about and having
personal interests vested in the results, if they can verify the information.
Another, related, application that can similarly benefit from digital
verification system
is banking. Applying for banking services or credit cards would be greatly
streamlined if
lending institutions were able to verify the authenticity of the consumer and
current
employment instantaneously. Here it would particularly be desirable to include
additional,
multimedia information such as a picture of the consumer for accurate
identification. The
records created by the entity in this case would have the usual banking
information, and yet
allow the consumer to proactively manage and review their financial
transactions. Similar to
the credit applications described above, a means for consumers to dispute
alleged transactions
can be provided and can actually provide considerable benefit to financial
institutions.
Protected and informed consumers are happy consumers. If information is
available and is
used in a timely manner, and the proposed system inherently promotes this, the
consumers
can help protect the financial institutions against error and fraud by more
promptly noticing
and reporting inappropriate or wrong actions and prompting investigations.
Yet another related application is smart cards, wherein the proposed digital
information verification system can help prevent fraud and identity theft
(whether for
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financial or still other motives). With the proliferation of numerous
technologically advanced
electronic gadgets, smart cards are expected to be able to uniquely identify a
particular device
among similar devices, and to permit transactions to be associated uniquely
with one device.
The proposed system would enable such unique devices to be associated with the
profile
records of an individual. There are many potential benefits to this, but one
particularly
addresses a weakness of smart cards. The cards are perceived as so secure that
possessing is
unduly relied upon as being valid possession. The proposed system can provide
a means to
alert parties to the misuse or theft of the smart card device, so that
identity can be preserved
and fraudulent transactions can be eliminated.
In sum, what is needed is a system that can be used in a variety of
environments
where verified information profiles can play an important role. Many examples
have been
introduced, above, and additional ones will be provided, below.
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DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a system for
verifying
information about individuals to organizational entities.
Briefly, one preferred embodiment of the present invention is a system for
verifying
information about individuals to organizational entities. A process controller
controls the
flow of the information throughout the system. A personal base includes
personal records
containing information about the individuals as individual-members of the
system, wherein
these records are initiated by and controlled by the individual-member as a
user of the
system. An entity base includes entity records containing information about
the entities as
entity-members of the system and about the individuals as having relationships
to the entity-
members, wherein these entity records are initiated by and controlled by one
or more
representatives of the entity-member, as said users of the system. A database
manager
permits access to the personal and entity records, manages the creation,
revision, and deletion
of them, and establishes relationships between them in the personal and entity
bases. And a
search engine is provided that searches the personal and entity bases and
compiles instances
of the information pertaining to an individual-member based on the personal
and entity
records refernng to that individual-member, wherein the information that is
confirmable by
correlation among multiple personal or entity records is verified information.
An advantage of the present invention is that it is flexible, having
applicability and
configurability encompassing many fields where verified information is needed.
For example,
without limitation, it may be used in employment, education, medicine, credit
and banking,
housing, travel ticketing, and government.
Another advantage of the invention is that it is inherently self correcting.
It provides
incentives and means for its information providers to participate and to
maintain the accuracy
of the information they provide. Concurrently, it provides incentives and
means for its
information subjects to participate and to maintain the accuracy of the
information about
them.
Another advantage of the invention is that it is inherently self policing. If
an
information provider proves reticent in fully participating or in maintaining
information
correctness, the subjects of the information can counter explain in their
profiles or simply
prevent the aberrant provider's incomplete or wrong information from
appearing.
Concurrently, the subjects of the information cannot themselves control or
unduly influence
its content.
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And another advantage of the invention is that it provides for and encourages
inclusion of information from "third parties." It allows references to
participate, with their
input being correlatable against the other profile information, say, from
entity information
providers, and yet also suppressible by the individual information subjects,
say, if the
information is out of context, too dated, etc.
And another advantage of the invention is that it may be implemented
currently, with
conventional or emerging technologies, but without undue reliance on any
particular
hardware, software, or protocols.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become
clear to
those skilled in the art in view of the description of the best presently
known mode of
carrying out the invention and the industrial applicability of the preferred
embodiment as
described herein and as illustrated in the several figures of the drawings.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The purposes and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the
following detailed description in conjunction with the appended figures of
drawings in which:
S FIG. 1 is a schematic overview of an embodiment according to the present
inventive
digital information verification system; and
FIG. 2a-2b are block diagrams respectively showing profile records used in the
personal and entity databases of the embodiment of FIG. 1.
In the various figures of the drawings, like references are used to denote
like or
similar elements or steps.
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BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
A preferred embodiment of the present invention is a digital information
verification
system. As illustrated in the various drawings herein, and particularly in the
view of FIG. 1,
5 this preferred embodiment of the invention is depicted by the general
reference character 10.
FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the inventive digital information verification
system
(DIV system 10) in schematic overview. In general, the DIV system 10 features
a computer-
implemented scheme utilizing multiple database configurations to aid in the
exchange of
information in manners consistent with industry standard security protocols.
The invention
10 may be implemented using known (and readily available) technologies such as
relational
architecture, database management systems, and hardware or software modules.
Once the
following disclosure is understood, those possessing skills in the arts of
database
management and application programming will be able to make and use the
invention using
commercially available database systems.
The DIV system 10 may include many additional, optional features. For example,
such may include the use of multimedia information, consisting of audio or
video in
combination with text, still images, or other digital computer data to extend
the usability of
the underlying information being verified and presented.
It should also be noted that since network technology continues to evolve, and
the
availability and sophistication of network facilities varies greatly among
users, the DIV
system 10 may be implemented to function over a variety of networks and to
adapt to the
network currently available. With such network-independence, the DIV system 10
can
provide the coupling of structured information and multimedia presentation to
fit the needs of
various remote user units, including but not limited to computers, terminals,
handheld
devices, kiosks, etc.
As shown in FIG. 1, a preferred embodiment of the DIV system 10 may include a
process controller 12 that manages the flow of information throughout the DIV
system 10 and
controls the execution of three major operational units, namely, a database
manager 14, a
search engine 16, and an accounting unit 18.
The database manager 14 performs configuration and management tasks associated
with the creation and revision of records contained in two separate databases,
namely, a
personal base 20 and an entity base 22. Both of these databases may each be
configured as
either a single database or a cluster of individual databases. The database
manager 14 also
associates records in the personal base 20 and the entity base 22 to establish
relationships
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11
therebetween. In the inventor's presently preferred embodiment, this is done
by establishing
entries in respective relation tables that include one or more DIV individual
IDs or one or
more DIV group IDs (see e.g., FIG. 2a-b).
The search engine 16 compiles diverse profile information in the personal base
20 and
the entity base 22 pertaining to specific DIV individual IDs. It also compiles
a coherent
database of results with dynamic links to allow navigation through various
portions of record
groupings, depending on the type of user currently employing the DIV system
10.
The accounting unit 18 is an important part of the DIV system 10, but is
described in
detail toward the end of this discussion, after context for it is better
provided.
The DIV system 10 also includes an authentication processor 24, a
communication
unit 26, and a single or multiple user access devices 28. The authentication
processor 24 and
the communication unit 26 may be local to the process controller 12, and may
even be
integrated into it. In contrast, the user access devices 28 are typically
remote from the other
components of the DIV system 10, making them easily available to the two major
classes of
users of the invention, namely, individual-members 30 and entity-members 32
(collectively
users 34).
According to the inventor's presently preferred embodiment, the user access
devices
28 are personal computers, PDAs, terminals, kiosks, etc., that are connected
to one or more
networks ultimately including the DIV system 10. Access thus may be achieved
via the
Internet or through local area networks (LAN), wide area networks (WAN), or
metropolitan
area networks otherwise connected to the DIV system 10.
The software and middleware technologies usable by the DIV system 10 are also
presently available, although not heretofore assembled together. As is already
standard
practice when dealing with the precious commodity of information, security
protocols can be
used. For example, digital certificates are already in wide use in personal
computers, and the
inventor contemplates that most of the user access devices 28 will use these
or a suitable
equivalent when communicating with the communication unit 26. When
appropriate, it is a
simple matter for the DIV system 10 to require the use of a secure protocol.
Those accessing the DIV system 10 will usually be either individual-members 30
or
entity-members 32. Any user 34 who is not an entity-member 32 is treated as an
individual-
member 30. According to the DIV system 10, an entity-member 32 is a duly
authorized
representative of a business-like entity, such as an employer, lending
institution, bank, credit
bureau, airline ticket issuer, etc. Conversely, an individual-member 30 is
usually a duly
authorized person representing themself, such as an employee, employment
applicant, credit
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12
applicant, student, etc.
The users 34 accessing the DIV system 10 are granted appropriate privileges
upon
successfully executing identification or verification protocols, which maybe
in the form of a
password, smart card, biometric, etc. The authentication processor 24 handles
initial security
and determines or "flags" the different types of the users. This is done with
the established
DIV individual IDs or DIV group )Ds being submitted in conjunction with the
passwords.
The authentication processor 24 additionally verifies the authority of the
entity-members 32,
based on the nature of the entity they belong to. Hence, once a user-type has
been
determined, the authentication processor 24 sets an entity flag and informs
the process
controller 12 about the type of user and represented entity accessing the DIV
system 10, so
that a variety of pertinent menus may be presented.
For instance, if a user accessing the DIV system 10 supplies a DIV individual
ID
AND a valid password, that user is classified by the authentication processor
24 as an
individual-member 30. This enables the process controller 12 to present
relevant menus
associated with individual-members 30, and these allow the user to access and
revise the
database records established in their individual-member 30 type profile
account in the
personal base 20.
On the other hand, if the user accessing the system supplies a DIV group ID
AND a
valid password, that user is classified by the authentication processor 24 as
an entity-member
32. This enables the process controller 12 to present relevant menus for this
type of user, and
to allow access to the appropriate entity database file maintained in the
entity base 22.
Of course, a user can exist in the DIV system 10 in many capacities. They may,
for
example, be an individual-member 30 that is, concurrently, a part-time
graduate student, an
employee with one entity, a prospective employee at one or more other
entities, and a credit
applicant. The very same individual-member 30 may even also be a
representative of an
entity-member 32, say, while working in the HR or credit department of one
entity-employer.
As such, a user may employ a separate DIV group ID for each capacity they fill
as a duly
authorized entity-member 32 (which rarely will be more than one such capacity,
but not
necessarily so). A user may have only one DIV individual ID, as an individual-
member 30,
regardless of how many capacities they fill as a duly authorized
representative of entity-
members 32. Other schemes are quite possible, but the DIV system 10 works
particularly
efficiently and securely with these.
Similarly, an entity-member 32 may exist in the DIV system 10 in multiple
entity
capacities. For instance, a university typically will be an educational
system, primarily. But it
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concurrently also may be an employer, a housing provider, a credit
institution, etc.
FIG. 2a depicts a sample format for a personal profile as might be used in the
personal
base 20 of FIG. 1. The personal base 20 is a database configured to contain
personal records
40 which are formulated by the individual-members 30. Each of these personal
records 40
forms a subset of the information associated with each individual-member 30
that may be
presented to the entity-members 32 (or authorized business entities that are
not members of
the DN system 10). The personal base 20 may be a single database file or a
collection of
database files (see e.g., FIG. 1), with each comprising multiple personal
records 40 and each
including a number of predefined fields. Generally, these fields will contain
searchable
parameters and descriptive information for the individual-members 30.
According to the
inventor's presently preferred embodiment, the search parameters include a
unique record ID
42, a DIV individual LD 44, the name of the individual-member 30, etc. The
personal record
40 may also contain control fields associated with references, the personal
profile usage,
services subscribed to, etc.
FIG. 2b depicts a sample format for an entity profile as might be used in
entity base
22 of FIG. 1. The entity base 22 is a database configured to contain entity
records 50 that are
formulated by the entity-members 32. The entity base 22 may also be a single
database file or
a cluster of database files. Each entity profile contains an entity record 50
that uniquely
identifies the entity-member 32, and database records pertaining to each
employee- or
consumer-client belonging to the entity-member 32. Each entity record 50 also
includes a
number of predefined fields and, generally, these fields will contain
searchable parameters
and descriptive information for the entity-members 32. According to the
inventor's presently
preferred embodiment, the search parameters here include a unique record ID
52, a DIV
group ID 54, the name of the entity-member 32, etc. The entity record 50 may
also contain
control fields associated with entity type, accesses permitted, member
services, etc. Each
entity database will also include records of each employee of the entity-
member 32, or each
consumer or client of the entity-member 32, or both, for entities such as
universities, credit
bureaus, etc., that have dual entity status.
For example, if the entity-member 32 is an employer, the entity record 50 will
identify
the member as such and the associated database records will contain employee
records. Each
such employee record can include an appropriate predetermined set of fields
for this entity
type, such as employee name, job titles held, and start and stop dates of each
position held
with this particular employer. The employee records may also include narrative
fields
containing descriptive information about initial (and final) job
responsibilities, terms of
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employment, reporting structure, supervisor and HR director comments, initial
(and final)
salary, etc.
If the entity-member 32 is a credit reporting agency, instead, the entity
record 50 will
identify the member as such and the associated database records will contain
consumer
records. Each such consumer record may then include an appropriate
predetermined set of
fields for this entity type, such as consumer name, type of credit services
acquired, and
narrative fields that advantageously specify the transaction history, credit
worthiness, etc.,
that are normally associated within the parameters currently established by
the credit bureaus.
On the other hand, if the entity-member 32 is an university, the entity record
50 will
identify the member as an educational system. The associated database records
will then
contain graduate records that include information about all of the students
currently
graduating, as well as all who have previously graduated from this university.
Each such
record can also include a predetermined set of appropriate fields for this
entity type, such as
the name of the graduating student, type of degree awarded, graduation date,
and any other
1 S narrative fields that may advantageously specify information associated
with the educational
background of a graduating student.
As noted earlier, an entity-member 32 such as a credit bureau, university,
etc., may
have dual (or more) entity status associated with its membership in the DN
system 10, since
it would have both employees as well as consumer-clients. For these entity-
members 32, the
database records associated with an entity record 50 can contain records of
each employee of
the entity-member 32, as well as with each consumer-client. These can
advantageously
configured to be accessed and managed under the same DN group ID 54. For
instance, in the
case of a university, an entity record 50 may contain associated database
records of current
and former university employees and staff, as well as records of currently
graduating and
formerly graduated students. And consistent with features previously
discussed, these may be
setup as either single or separate, multiple databases.
With reference again to FIG. 1, it is the database manager 14 that manages the
creation, revision/modification, and maintenance of database personal records
contained in
both the personal base 20 and the entity base 22. The database manager 14 also
enforces the
security and password protocols associated with all database records in the DN
system 10, to
specify who may have access to the records for the purpose of revising,
maintaining, and
archiving them. When the users 34 select options from their menus to create or
modify either
the personal or entity profile databases, the process controller 12 submits
commands to the
database manager 14, which in turn drive the databases, passing information
fields contents
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and initiating necessary control actions to effectively manipulate the
intended database
records. The mechanisms involved in the creation and manipulation of the
database records
of both the personal base 20 and entity base 22 are now explained.
The creation of the entity base 22 involves two separate major steps. First,
through
5 appropriate security measures and verification protocols, legitimate
businesses, universities,
employers, etc., are awarded status as entity-members 32 each provided with a
uniquely
identifying DN group ID 54 and a valid password. As part of this, a basic
entity record 50 is
formed within the entity base 22. In the second step, the entity-members 32
establish
additional records for their pool of employees, clients, graduating students,
etc., in their
10 database file, with relational cross-references back to their own entity
record 50. So, for
instance, an employer would create records for each of its employees and,
together with its
own entity record 50 this would form its entity profile. Such records, or
small databases in
their own right, together form the entity base 22.
It is to be understood that to ensure privacy and authentication, the
employers and
15 their individual employees jointly create individual database records, and
that any subsequent
revisions/modifications of already authenticated records pertaining to an
employee can be
executed by the employer only if a DN individual ID 44 and password of the
employee also
accompanies such update commands. Essentially, both the employer authorization
AND the
employee authorization are required to commit an update/revision request.
Hence, an
employer cannot, by its sole discretion, change authenticated records without
the knowledge
and authorized consent of the employee in question. By the same token, an
employee cannot
change authenticated records without the knowledge and authorized consent of
their
employer, thereby assuring safe practices.
However, it should be noted that joint creation of individual database records
does not
necessarily mean that both the employer and their individual employees have to
be physically
present at the same time; it would suffice for the employer to set up
individual employee
records, and when such individual-members 30 access their personal records 40
by using
their DIV'individual ID 44 and password combination, they can be alerted about
new records
created by their employer. A menu option can then be presented to allow them
to examine
and approve or dispute the new records, whereupon these records will attain
authenticated
status. This alternative method is particularly useful in the case of past
employees who are no
longer physically available to establish records at their prior employers.
As mentioned above, when an entity-member 32 accesses the DN system 10 a
variety
of menu options are presented, depending on the type of entity. For employers,
the menu
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options may allow the following:
to create authentic employment records, together with authorization from
individual employees;
to edit/modify those records, such as while updating the data for promotions,
title or responsibility changes, etc., or to close the database record
permanently (i.e.
when the employee is no longer employed by the employer);
to accomplish account management, wherein the employer designates or
changes authorized HR personnel that create, revise or otherwise maintain the
database records of that entity-member 32; and
to verify the employment and degree records of current or prospective
employees, but only if authorized to view such records (as described
presently).
In a similar manner, educational institutions, such as universities, etc.,
create their
respective entity records 50 and corresponding database records of all of
their graduated
students, employees, student loan recipients, etc.
It is to be understood that each individual-member 30, whether an employee,
student,
client, consumer, etc., may be assigned a single unique DIV individual ID 44
by the DIV
system 10, so that any information pertaining to that person can always be
assembled into a
coherent presentation regardless of where the various records pertaining to an
individual-
member 30 may reside within the potentially numerous database clusters of
entity records 50.
The creation of the personal base 20 is formulated by the employee, student,
client,
consumer, etc., and is established by the creation of personal records 40 by
the individual-
members 30. The personal records 40 contain information created exclusively by
the
individual-members 30 and, as such, are generally construed by the DIV system
10 as
containing unverified information. An exception to this, however, can be made
for records
pertaining to skills and references (discussed presently).
As described~above, an employee (as an individual-member 30) is always in
control
of their DIV individual ID 44 and corresponding password. Database records
reflecting
authentic employment records for them are created together with each of their
current and
previous employers (as entity-members 32). Accordingly, when the employee
accesses the
DIV system 10, using their unique DIV individual 117 44 and password
combination, they
may be presented with appropriate menu options that allow the following:
to review and authorize newly created employment records;
to check that their employment records are in the same state as at last
authorized; and
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to add, round out, or otherwise complete information about their employment
or degree profile, such as skills acquired, cover letters, references, any job
or degrees
that are yet to be verified, etc.
It is to be noted that only this type information need be reflected in the
personal
records 40, and not any of the already authenticated entity records 50, which
can remain
"owned" and managed by the respective entity-members 32 with which an employee
is or
once was associated.
The DIV system 10 may additionally be configured to use a skill-rating system
that
determines the strength of each skill listed by an individual-member 30. Such
a skills rating
system has clear and immediate benefit for employment purposes, but it may
also be
employed by other types of entities, such as educational institutions. Using
this system, the
results of testing may then appear as a verified entry in the personal record
40. Alternately,
the skills section may instead or additionally have a provision for the
individual-member 30
to list their skills without using a skills-rating system. These entries would
then be listed as
1 S unverified.
When a skills-rating system is used, it can include exhaustive testing
designed to
evaluate the knowledge of a particular subject. For instance, testing may be
in the form of a
multiple choice test, answer entry, essay, or other format suitable for the
rating sought. An
entity-member 32 may provide the test, say, a prospective employer, or third-
party skills
evaluators may be employed. In particular, the test may be provided online,
either integrated
into the DIV system 10 or in the form of a link to the test elsewhere. Upon
completion of a
test the results are incorporated into the skills section as a verified entry,
indicating as well as
validating the knowledge of the subject matter by the individual-member 30.
For example, when a technical programmer as an individual-member 30 lists a
skill in
a programming language, say C++ or JAVA, and tries to update the skills
section their
personal record 40, the DIV system 10 can immediately provide a C++ or Java
skills test.
When the test is completed, the results can be included with an indicator that
this skill is
verified. Similarly, if an employee lists management in their skills section,
a pertinent test can
be provided and the results can be incorporated within their skills section.
It should be noted
that the skills tests may additionally include behavioral profiling tests, to
help bring about a
perfect fit between potential employers and employees.
The personal record 40 also provides a mechanism for individual-member 30 to
establish a list of references. Once such a list is proffered, the DIV system
10 can prompt
each person listed to provide the reference. When the references are completed
by their
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providers, they become part of the personal record 40 for the individual-
member 30 and are
reflected as verified entries which may not be modified by the benefited
individual-member
30. The references may be for many purposes, e.g., employment, credit,
housing, and the
individual-member 30 can control which references are seen in any particular
context.
As explained in creating the entity records 50, the employers AND the
employees
jointly create entity database records. The employer is presented with various
standard menu
options, and additional entries or fields may also be provided, to enable the
participating
entity-members 32 to specify a set of mandatory fields as established by
company policies or
as governed by federal, state, and local laws. Each field in the creation of
these records may
be advantageously presented in the form of lists or scroll down menu items for
ease of use,
and as a means to eliminate exhaustive typing requirements. So for instance,
while
establishing a title for an employee, the authorized personnel of entity-
members 32
maintaining the entity records 50 in the DIV system 10 can pick the title from
a scroll down
list of all the titles available within the system, or create a new title by
entering the new title
in the filed. Any new such titles added in this manner then is reflected in
the scroll down
menu so that it may be available as a choice for future use.
It should be noted that the same principle can apply to almost all of the
fields
established in the DIV system 10, so that every entry becomes a click-able
choice for future
use by the members, thereby making the entire system much easier to use. The
DIV system
10 forces any updates or changes to require re-authorization from both the
employer AND the
employee whose records are being updated or otherwise modified. This
circumvents
unauthorized changes to existing verified entries. In addition, the employees
create their
personal records 40 with various menu options that allow for the creation of
skills profile,
reference listings, cover letters, and other yet-to-be verified information as
well as non-
verifiable information such as self study, courses, trainings etc.
When an employee comes across interesting jobs listed, regardless of the job-
listing
source, instead of sending a resume residing in their computer or from a
profile established at
any of the numerous job-boards today, the employee as an individual-member 30
can just
respond including their unique DIV individual ID 44. This may be submitted to
the employer
as an entity-member 32 in many ways. For example, it may be provided within
the DIV
system 10 to the hiring manager of the employer as a click-able URL link. Or
it may be
provided as an email with a link to the employee's profile. Basically, any
suitable form of
online interaction may be used.
This process of applying for jobs may be accomplished by a menu option
provided to
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employees as individual-members 30 when they are logged into their account
using the DN
system 10. The menu option would then send a click-able LTRL link to any
entity-member 32
identified and entered by the employee in a form field presented. The employee
may
optionally use an email system and list the complete URL link to their profile
and their
unique DIV individual ID 44. The employee then sends the email to a potential
employer, as
an indication of interest in a particular job. When the representative of the
entity-member 32,
clicks on the URL link containing an unique DIV individual ID 44 associated
with the
candidate applying for the job, the process controller 12 invokes the search
engine 16. The
search engine 16 then executes a search of all the records contained in both
the personal base
20 and the entity base 22 and retrieves all of the records pertaining to the
DN individual )D
44 from the database clusters therein. The process controller 12 then invokes
the database
manager 14 to present the gathered information in an "assemble-to-verify" type
presentation
format. For example, all of the records may be represented in a coherent
reverse
chronological format, with separate sections for employment history, degrees,
references,
skills, cover letters, etc., and with navigational links so that the recipient
can browse through
the information with ease. These separate sections would typically comprise
both verified and
unverified information to provide continuity of career history, and the
verified portions may
appear with digital certificates carrying a certified stamp of authenticity.
It should be noted that the presentation format can be varied, and may be
customizable by the entity-member 32, depending on what uniform format is in
keeping with
their own HR practices and HRIS system policies. The DIV system 10 thus allows
for the
recipient to easily import all of the presented information into their own
HRIS or resume
management system, since the data contained in all of the sections can
coincide with the
usual data fields associated with traditional resume structures or applicant
tracking systems.
The DN system 10 allows an employment application to be delivered and to
accommodate
authentic, verified information regarding career history, degrees held, etc.
While unverified
information is also included to provide continuity of career history, the
already verified
information can carry a certifying stamps of authenticity as digital
"certificates." This
streamlines the application processes and enables hiring decisions to be made
faster and more
accurately.
It is also contemplated that the recipient may not necessarily be a formal
entity-
member 32 to view the "authenticated profile" of a candidate applying to a job
listed by the
entity. The DIV system 10 allows employees as individual-members 30 to send
their
authenticated profile to any entity or hiring manager, regardless of whether
the receiving
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entity is an entity-member 32 or not.
However, to safeguard privacy and to protect the interests of the entity-
members 32
and their corresponding employee-pool, the DIV system 10 may inherently be
implemented
to be a closed response system, so that entity-members 32 cannot search or
otherwise get any
5 information about any employee associated with other entity-members 32. To
achieve this the
ways an entity-member 32 can avail itself of the authenticated records of a
potential
employee can be limited. Firstly, access can be permitted if a potential
employee supplies
their unique DIV individual ID 44 as part of applying for a job with the
potential employer
(regardless of whether that is an entity-member 32 or not). Alternately, the
employee, by their
10 own consent or action, may choose to list their profile in an unrestricted
access area of the
DN system 10. In most embodiments, the inventor contemplates that only the
entity-
members 32 will have the ability to browse through such open-listed,
authenticated profiles
with the aid of the search engine 16. Hence, the DIV system 10 can prevent
unauthorized
access to employee-profiles. At all times, each entity-member 32 can own and
maintain the
15 information pool of its employees, while those (current or past) employees
as individual-
members 30 control access to their profiles. In addition, the databases used
in the DIV system
10 may be advantageously configured such that all records pertaining to each
unique ID 44,
54 are in separate database clusters, so that only the action of the search
engine 16 to
"assemble-to-verify" an execution brings together information that would be
coherent. Also,
20 the entity records 50 created by the employers may be governed by
applicable federal, state
and local laws, as well as any corporate policies. The DIV system 10 hence may
act to ensure
that local laws, rules, and regulations are followed, such as those pertaining
to FCRA, FLSA,
OSHA, etc., in the United States. As such, the invention may support an
objective measure of
compliance with hiring standards.
As noted above, various menu options are presented to an employee as an
individual-
member 30 upon successfully signing on to the DIV system 10. These may allow
the
employee to control many aspects of their profile. For instance a reference
control 46 allows
for maintaining a list of references. When such reference records are
completed by the
reference providers, they become part of the employee profile record and are
reflected as
verified entries which may not be modified by the employee. However, the
employee still
retains control of the visibility of these records, and can control which
references they want to
be visible to an authorized access by a potential employer. The employee can
suppress
references that are no longer necessary. In a similar manner, profile control
menus allow the
employee to deny access to a potential employer who previously had access to
the member
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profile. As an example, when a employee terminates tenure with their employer,
who is also
an entity-member 32, the employee can use the profile control menus to deny or
"block" this
employer from accessing or changing any further employment or related
information. The
DIV system 10 may be advantageously configured so that prior employers can
only get
verified information about their past employees, and then only that
information that pertains
to the periods that the employee was in service or tenure with that employer.
This mechanism
prevents prior employers, who are already privy to the DIV individual ID 44 of
past
employees, from having unauthorized access to current information related to
the past
employees.
Turning now to the accounting unit 18, in the inventor's presently preferred
embodiment of the DIV system 10, whenever a business entity becomes an entity-
member 32
it is invoked to track charges in the form of a basic subscription charge,
predetermined based
upon the number of employees serviced by the employer. Other charges, beyond
the basic
subscription, are also established for related or additional transactions. Of
course, a variety of
other payment schemes may also be established to charge the entity-members 32
for the
services rendered to them.
The accounting unit 18 may also be used to apply other charges to the entity-
members
32. For example, it can handle charging for use of the skills-rating systems.
It may also be
advantageously configured to track various other activities, so that
additional services such as
report generation, statistical information, etc. can be made available to help
meet the needs of
the members of the DIV system 10.
The above preferred approach perpetuates the traditional employer-pays model,
wherein the individual-members 30 can be allowed free use of the DIV system
10. That
model, however, is not traditional in some other contexts. For example,
systems for applying
for credit or housing often use an applicant-pays model. The inventive DIV
system 10 can
then, flexibly, be implemented to employ this scheme, alternately or even
additionally, based
on the transaction context.
The DN system 10 has been described here by referencing a preferred embodiment
using instantaneous, online employment and degree verification; creating and
profiling
authenticated information; managing the personal base 20 and the entity base
22 databases;
applying for jobs online or through electronic mail; and, changing the
delivery mechanism by
replacing conventional unverified resumes with authenticated profiles all
certified from
respective originating sources. Other uses of the invention that have been
noted in passing are
in housing, banking services, credit bureaus, and educational institutions.
The inventive DIV
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system 10, however, is not necessarily limited to just a set group of
industries. It has potential
application anywhere an authenticated information exchange is required.
While various embodiments have been described above, it should be understood
that
they have been presented by way of example only, and not limitation. Thus, the
breadth and
scope of the invention should not be limited by any of the above described
exemplary
embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the following
claims and their
equivalents.
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INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY
The present DIV system 10 is well suited for use in a wide variety of
applications.
Examples have already been provided in employment, education, finance, and
housing. The
invention is not limited, however, to specific industries or fields. Two
examples of critical
information-using entities have been saved until now to emphasize this:
medicine and
government. A hospital must have verified information when it administers or
dispenses
many medications, and a government must have verified information when it
provides a
passport, drivers license, or other identity document. The problem that the
DIV system 10
solves is universal: information about individuals is only useful to entities
(the invention's
entity-members 32) if it can be trusted. The invention thus permits enough of
the content in a
profile of information about an individual to be verified that a sound
decision can be made.
The inventive DIV system 10 also serves its individual-members 30 well. It
pragmatically acknowledges fact that they are usually the ones who are most
knowledgeable
1 S if the information about them it is correct, complete, timely, etc. And
that they typically will
be the ones most motivated and proactive to see to that. The invention thus
makes them, by in
large, the masters of their own information. It empowers them review the
information about
them, to initiate correction of it, and to police against its wrongful use.
The DIV system 10 brings together many of the best technologies in the
computer,
communications, and security fields. It is not limited to any specific
hardware, software, or
security scheme. Its hardware may be highly integrated or widely dispersed. It
particularly
may be employed with wide area networks, such as municipal public-access
networks or the
Internet. Its users 34 may employ it using conventional or new types of user
access devices
28. Its personal base 20 and entity base 22 may be singular or clusters of
multiple databases.
It may employ security protocols that are rigorous, such as digital
certificate stamping, or
ones deemed merely sufficient for most cases, such as regarding information
verified if it
appears and substantially cross correlates across multiple records.
For the above, and other, reasons, it is expected that the DIV system 10 of
the present
invention will have widespread industrial applicability. Therefore, it is
expected that the
commercial utility of the present invention will be extensive and long
lasting.
